Throughout the pandemic, there have been memes on social media that questioned whether Covid-19 was real. Now across the platforms there are those who are even claiming that the delta variant was somehow caused by the vaccines. That's not true of course, as the delta variant was first identified in India last October – two months before the first emergency-approved Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine was even administered.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the delta variant is also just one of eight known variants of the virus. It has been in the spotlight because of its high transmission rate and its level of aggression.
On social media there are those that not only disregard the warnings from the WHO and Centers of Disease Control (CDC), but have used the platforms to spread contradictory information.
"Social media is not news," warned William V. Pelfrey, Jr., Ph.D., professor in the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University.
"Reputable news outlets have objective editors who review information quality before disseminating it," added Pelfrey. "There are, unfortunately, some media elements that present as news but are instead politically motivated and distribute information that is not factual. They are usually easy to spot. Although the word 'news' may be in the title, they are in reality an echo chamber."
Misinformation Spreads Like A Virus
Because of the continued divide in our country, it is easy to see how social media can help spread information, misinformation and even disinformation. Information sent by like-minded individuals, even if they aren't friends, can be more trusted than what is seen or heard from the actual news outlets.
"Social media is different," noted Pelfrey. "People post what interests them, posts that will draw attention – and secure distribution – and posts that make them feel good. The psychology behind this process is fascinating. When given a large enough platform, posts that make a person feel good can be very dangerous. If I have thousands of followers and post that 'Covid-19 is over!,' I am creating a serious public health risk, even if that post makes me feel less insecure about an uncertain world."
The ability for social media to spread this sort of misinformation isn't new, but the pandemic may have increased its ability to act as a megaphone.
"As a healthcare provider, I was already starting to see an increase in patients turning to social media before Covid-19 even started. Jokes about Dr. Google or Dr. Facebook were already taking place," said Dr. Donna Gregory, senior lecturer within the School of Nursing at Regis College.
Previously it was more of an individual case-by-case basis, but with the outbreak of the pandemic last year, suddenly it seemed the masses took to social media for the latest source of information, even as health care experts knew very little about it.
"Unfortunately, with social media it can often be difficult to determine the original source and the credibility of that source," added Gregory. "I often hear patients say, 'Someone I know shared a post…,' or 'My friend posted that her friend…,' regarding health information. Many of these posts generate fear and impact patient decision making but aren't grounded in fact."
Social media remains a great place to interact with others, especially during the shutdown that forced people to stay at home. It can also be a good place for academic discourse and information gathering, but it doesn't take much for misinformation to be presented as fact.
"Disinformation can lead to fear, failure to follow guidelines, distrust of the medical community, and overall, we have seen it negatively impact the community response to this pandemic," explained Gregory.
"In order to prevent the spread of disinformation and allow people to make decisions that are based on fact and expert opinion, people need to know how to be savvy consumers of social media," she explained. "This includes being able to identify disinformation and know what sources are credible. This has been true since the start of the pandemic and continues to be true as we see changes, such as the emergence of the delta variant."
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July 31, 2021 at 12:40AM
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Is Social Media Spreading Dangerous Covid-19 Delta Variant Misinformation? - Forbes
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